Former Bank of Ireland building in Dunleer purchased to house new library

The former Bank of Ireland building in Dunleer has been purchased for the provision of library services and a multi-purpose community space.

The news was announced this morning by Minister Humpheries as part of a range of funding and measures under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.

A further €36,731 was also announced to carry out alterations to the existing entrance to Stephenstown Pond in Knockbridge.

Local Fine Gael TD, Fergus O’Dowd, has warmly welcomed the news commenting:

“I’m absolutely delighted we now have confirmation that the Dunleer library will soon be moving to a larger and more appropriate building which will allow the service to expand.

“This is a matter I have been raising with both the local authority and in the Dail over recent months as the service has clearly outgrown its current premises.

“The council confirmed to me in August that they were exploring options to improve on the delivery of the Dunleer Library Service as they were experiencing growth in both membership and usage of the Dunleer facility.

O’Dowd added “The welcome news was delivered this morning by my colleague the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, as part of the Building Acquisition Measure (BAM) of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme

“Under the initiative, local authorities were asked by the department to engage with the local community to identify suitable vacant or derelict properties that could be taken into public ownership and converted for community use.

“This is great news for the Dunleer community and I can’t wait to see the expansion of services along with a new community space that will greatly benefit the area into the future.”

Announcing the funding today, Minister Humphreys:

“I am delighted to announce a record €27 million in funding under my Department’s Town and Village Renewal Scheme. 

“This is all about tackling the scourge of vacancy and dereliction in our rural towns and villages. It’s about taking old buildings and giving them a new lease of life. 

“And it’s about rejuvenating the centre of our towns by developing public plazas, town parks, community gardens and sports facilities for the benefit of local families. 

“This investment today will breathe new life into rural towns and villages across every single county. It’s the largest ever investment under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and demonstrates my passion and ambition for our rural communities.”

Also given the go ahead today was the commencement of works funded under the Streetscapes Enhancement Initiative which saw the village of  Omeath awarded €100k earlier in the year.

The Minister commented:

“Today I am giving the green light for works to commence in the 26 towns selected under the Streetscapes Enhancement Initiative. 

“From Bagenalstown to Ballinlough, this initiative will provide retailers and property owners with grants that they can use to improve the facades of their buildings, carry out artwork or install features such as street furniture or canopies. 

“This is a new initiative that I introduced as part of Our Rural Future. The response has been hugely positive to date and I look forward to seeing works commence in these 26 towns.”